Saturday, February 27, 2010

Days 1-11

In our search for THE big sound, (and especially the big snare I might add), we´re happy and lucky to get Michael Wagener to steer the ship. He shall deliver the right sound and guidance for Lordi. We are really confident on that.Yep. So here we are in Nashville, recording at WireWorld studios. When we first step inside the studio, there was a supercool B-day cake with the Lordi symbol on it waiting for us, since it was my birthday when we arrived! What a welcome!Michael already had set up the drum kit when Kita arrived to do his thing on his first day. And Kita was fast, finishing the drumtracks two days ahead of schedule. The sound of the drums is gonna be thunderous. They are huge. They will echo long after you take the cd out of the player. The way it should be. Me like. Oh, and for those who are interrested in this technical stuff; we are proud to say that there will be NO beat detective used on this album. And I gotta say, the feel is much more alive without it. Bands recorded without it for decades and survived. So... yeah.

The way the Big W is producing us, is very different from what we are used to. This is the first time since Get Heavy, when all the songs were actually really truly rehearsed by the whole band before hitting the studio. I couldn´t believe it, but even the lyrics were finished and polished several weeks ago. Usually I´d still be writing the last lines while we´re already in the studio recording..!

Each song will have a lot of focus this time, thanks to Michael´s way of producing. Every song will get the time it needs to be the best possible song that it could be. Max out the potential on each track. It started already when recording the drums. Several different snares were first tested, and then used, just to find the right sound and feel for any particular song. Same thing goes for basses. Quite a few were used. Even a fretless one, to get some rrrrrreally cool slides by Ox.

So yeah, the drums are done, and now even the basses are done. And Ox did continue what Kita started, laying down the basslines ahead of schedule. Excellent. Ox finished his job the other day and is going back to Finland today. Thank you Horned Bro, see you in two months and let´s make you a new face! Another technical trivia: Ox is now stomping his hoofs on the Holy Fire pedal. Sounds quite.. errr... ”oxy”. Meaning that it rocks and growls. Duh.

Awa arrived couple of days ago, and today she and Michael set up the synth arsenal. But still, the day 11 was mainly for guitar setup. 13 mics and who knows how many amps. Let´s say trillion. I don´t know, ask Amen. Oooh, but the cool thing is that amongst the cabinets used are the exact same ones that were used for Ozzy and on Skid Row´s Slave To The Grind. So, good things to wait for, definitely.

Amen starts his journey tomorrow, and so will I, as well does Awa. From this point on, we´re working on one song at a time. This means that in two to three day periods we are recording all the guitars, vocals, keys on one song at a time. Then rough mix and on to the next one. This is totally new way for us, and we´re psyched! This way, the focus will stay on the song at hand and every song gets the equal attention. It´ll be almost as if we approach every song as we´d know we´re recording a single. The first song to get the full treatment will be Non-Stop Night.

As for myself, I´ve been spending time at the WireWorld just enjoying the ride. And at the same time I´ve already started working on the booklet! Painted full paintings of 4 songs already.

Different approach once again, the visual image of the song is being produced at the same time the song´s being recorded. Cool. And it works both ways, as stupid or artsy-fartsy it may sound. I put up the finished painting of Devil´s Lullaby on the console while Ox was playing it, and I swear his bass sounded a little bit angrier right then... Nah, I guess that´s bullshit. Would be nice story though.

I guess that´s pretty much it for now. Of course I cannot leave you without these very important pieces of information:-I´ve been eating a lot of ribs. Chili´s have the best ones, but I knew that already.-There are live sharks at the local mall.-Spencer´s were dangerously low on KISS merchandise, dammit.-Our dear friends drum tech Joey and guitar tech Adam came from Chicago to see us for a few days.-Seen vultures eating roadkilled possums and rabbits.-There´s plenty of Dr.Pepper and Pepsi Max in the studio fridge. And a lot of candy.-We now have ”Always Cake In The Studio Fridge”-policy.-I bought a lifesize Chucky doll.-Awa sleeps with a cat.-Michael and Tina have funny dogs.-We have red cones to guard things in the studio.-Michael Wagener is ALMOST as childish as I am. So he is by far the coolest legendary Germanproducer in America that I´ve ever known.